A two-year-old girl who was sent home from hospital with constipation was diagnosed with a 15cm cancer tumor just days later.
Gracie Tudor, 2, was rushed her to Dudley Urgent Care Centre at Russells Hall Hospital on March 13 after her mum Claire Jones became concerned about her daughter.
Medics told her that the tot had constipation and tried to send them home but Claire refused to leave and asked for a second opinion. Gracie was admitted and spent two days in hospital but was sent home on March 15. However, three days later her mum took her back to the hospital and after tests she was eventually diagnosed with neuroblastoma after mdeics found a large tumor, reports Birmingham Live.
Claire says she had to really 'kick off' on their second visit to Russells Hall Hospital after medics continued to tell her that Gracie was constipated.
Eventually, after an eight hour wait, a doctor came and checked up on Gracie.
She said: "I took her to A&E again and they wanted to send me home with Movicol (a laxative). I did kick off a little bit and eight hours later a doctor came to see us.
"I get it is busy and I understand that. He felt her tummy and felt something on the right side which he thought was faeces."
The doctor then sent Gracie for an X-ray and ultrasound.
Claire continued: "In the meantime, they did mention to me Birmingham Children's Hospital and said if it is an appendicitis, they can't do anything here because of her age. I was not thinking about cancer at this point.
"We went to ultrasound and the men did not speak to me. They were scanning her and she was crying and sweating - I've never seen sweat like it. He ran out of the room and punched his number into his door and grabbed the phone.
"We get back upstairs and I settle her down. Forty minutes later a nurse came to get us and I thought it was an appendicitis that went bad.
"The doctor was struggling to get words out and I said 'just tell me'. They told me they had found a large mass on her liver.
"I asked if it was cancer and they said they didn't know." Gracie was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital by ambulance later that night."
After two biopsies, the tot was diagnosed with a neuroblastoma on her adrenal gland.
Claire said: "They thought she was bleeding internally. One doctor told us 'her illness has taken a nosedive.'"
Gracie's tumour is 15x10cm and Claire says it protrudes out of her stomach.
Claire said. "Grace is 11kg at the moment, she is absolutely tiny, she is skin and bone."
After her diagnosis Gracie began chemotherapy treatments on April 6.
Her mum and dad, Ste, have been told that Gracie has a 24 per cent chance of survival if she goes through the aggressive treatment.
Her parents are hoping to take her overseas for medical care not available in the UK and have launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for this.
Claire said: "The symptoms are rising again with flushness and the sweating - it is a matter of life and death. We are looking at a trial in Germany and treatment in the USA."
Claire wants to raise awareness so other parents can learn about the symptoms of neuroblastoma.
She said: "I'm back in mom mode and try to be positive for her. All I can do is have hope.
"I can't thank people enough for their help. Parents need to know about this, it was missed for two weeks.
"If it ever gets to a point where treatment isn't working, I will not let her suffer. So we have to take it cycle by cycle and day by day."
Diane Wake, chief executive of the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust NHS, said: "Our thoughts are with Gracie and her family at this time and we wish them well with their fundraising efforts.
“Our staff treated Gracie in line with the symptoms that were presented and we supported the family with the next steps following her full diagnosis.”
You can view Gracie's GoFundMe page here.
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